ALEX Learning Activity

  

Body Alphabet Book: Digital Photography

A Learning Activity is a strategy a teacher chooses to actively engage students in learning a concept or skill using a digital tool/resource.

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  This learning activity provided by:  
Author: Mollie Bounds
System:Madison City
School:Madison City Board Of Education
  General Activity Information  
Activity ID: 1862
Title:
Body Alphabet Book: Digital Photography
Digital Tool/Resource:
Device with a camera
Web Address – URL:
Not Applicable
Overview:

Students take photographs of themselves making the shapes of letters. They use the ear for the letter C, their mouth for the letter O, or use their entire body and their peer to create the letter B. Let students get creative and create the alphabet with their body. Compile all the letters into a digital alphabet book in which the students must guess which letter the students are trying to represent in the photograph. 

This activity was created as a result of the DLCS COS Resource Development Summit.

  Associated Standards and Objectives  
Content Standard(s):
Digital Literacy and Computer Science
DLIT (2018)
Grade: K
R1) Identify, demonstrate, and apply personal safe use of digital devices.

Unpacked Content
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Students:
  • can use devices responsibly.
  • can use software responsibly with help.
  • can obey internet safety rules.
Teacher Vocabulary:
  • information
  • devices
  • software
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • how to identify responsible uses of devices.
  • how to identify responsible uses of software.
  • how to remember internet safety rules.
Skills:
Students are able to:
  • identify responsible uses of devices: keeping them clean, correct methods for use.
  • identify responsible uses of software.
  • remember internet safety rules.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
  • they are responsible for using devices carefully to ensure they work and do not get broken.
  • there are correct ways to use software.
  • it is important to follow all rules when working on a computer.
  • they should only work on a computer when an adult is helping them.
Digital Literacy and Computer Science
DLIT (2018)
Grade: K
R6) Produce, review, and revise authentic artifacts that include multimedia using appropriate digital tools.

Unpacked Content
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Students:
  • will will show ideas by using different applications on a device.
  • will change and fix those ideas on the device.
Teacher Vocabulary:
  • text
  • image
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • how to type or use speech to text to type basic letters and words.
  • how to delete letters and words.
  • how to resize an image.
  • how to move an image around.
Skills:
Students are able to:
  • type and edit text.
  • resize and move images.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
  • an artifact created digitally can be reviewed and revised easily and in the same platform.
  • text and images can be used together to convey an idea or information.
Digital Literacy and Computer Science
DLIT (2018)
Grade: K
2) Demonstrate use of input devices.

Examples: Mouse, touch screen, keyboard.

Unpacked Content
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Students:
  • will use a mouse and keyboard to enter information.
Teacher Vocabulary:
  • mouse
  • keyboard
  • screen
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • input devices are used to manipulate computing devices or enter information.
Skills:
Students are able to:
  • use a mouse, keyboard, or other input device to navigate on computing devices and enter information.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
  • they may need to use other pieces of equipment to navigate, select programs, or enter information into a computing device.
Digital Literacy and Computer Science
DLIT (2018)
Grade: K
12) Use a variety of digital devices, in both independent and collaborative settings.

Examples: Interactive boards, tablets, laptops, other handheld devices.

Unpacked Content
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Students:
  • will use basic features of various types of devices both independently and collaboratively.
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • basic features of various digital devices.
Skills:
Students are able to:
  • use basic features of handheld/mobile devices collaboratively.
  • use basic features of handheld/mobile devices independently.
  • use basic features of desktops and laptops collaboratively.
  • use basic features of desktops and laptops independently.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
  • they can interact with apps on handheld devices via touch.
  • they can access programs and software on computing devices.
  • they can enter information in various ways.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: K
8. Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of printed materials.

a. Recognize and demonstrate that print conveys meaning.

Examples: Share a favorite book with peers. Share a list of birthday gifts received.

b. With prompting and support, explain the roles of the author and illustrator of a text.

c. Track print, moving left to right and top to bottom on the printed page, returning to the beginning of the next line.

d. Identify the beginning and end of a sentence by locating the capital letter and end punctuation.

e. Point to words using one-to-one correspondence, noting that words are separated by spaces.

f. Distinguish letters from words within sentences.

g. Compare and contrast letters based upon similarities and differences, including name, shape, sound, and approach strokes for writing.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
8.
  • Demonstrate
  • Organization
  • Basic features of print
  • Printed materials
8a.
  • Recognize
  • Demonstrate
  • Print
  • Conveys
8b.
  • Prompting
  • Support
  • Role
  • Author
  • Illustrator
8c.
  • Track
  • Print
  • Line
8d.
  • Sentence
  • Capital letter
  • End punctuation
8e.
  • Spaces
  • One-to-one correspondence
8f.
  • Distinguish
  • Letters
  • Words
  • Sentences
8g.
  • Compare
  • Contrast
  • Similarities
  • Differences
  • Name
  • Shape
  • Sound
  • Approach strokes
Knowledge:
8. Students know:
  • The organization and basic features of printed materials.
8a.
  • Print conveys a message.
8b.
  • The role of a text's author.
  • The role of a text's illustrator.
8c.
  • Print is organized and read from left to right and top to bottom.
8d.
  • A sentence begins with a capital letter.
  • A sentence ends with an ending punctuation mark.
8e.
  • The one-to-one correspondence of words in printed text.
8f.
  • Letters are used to represent sounds in a word.
  • A word is a group of letters put together to represent all the sounds in that word.
8g.
  • The name, shape, sound, and approach stroke of each letter.
  • How the letters are similar and different.
Skills:
8. Students are able to:
  • Explain the organization and basic features of printed materials.
8a.
  • Recognize that printed materials convey a message.
  • Demonstrate their understanding of the message relayed by print (e.g., by sharing their favorite book with a peer or by sharing a list of birthday gifts received).
8b. With prompting and support,
  • Explain the role of a text's author.
  • Explain the role of a text's illustrator.
8c.
  • Track printed words from left to right, top to bottom, and page by page.
8d.
  • Identify the beginning of a sentence by locating the capital letter.
  • Identify the end of a sentence by locating the ending punctuation mark.
8e.
  • Point to words using one-to-one correspondence, using spaces to identify separate words.
8f.
  • Distinguish letters from words within sentences.
8g.
  • Compare and contrast letters based upon their similarities and differences, including the name, shape, sound, and approach strokes for writing.
Understanding:
8. Students understand that:
  • Printed materials have predictable features that help readers locate information.
8a.
  • Letters and words relay a message in printed materials.
8b.
  • The words and illustrations in a text communicate the author's and/or illustrator's intended message.
8c.
  • Print is organized and read from left to right and top to bottom.
8d.
  • Capital letters are used to begin a sentence and certain punctuation marks are used to end a complete sentence.
8e.
  • Words are separated by spaces in print to help the reader know where one word begins and the other ends, which assists readers in accurately decoding text.
8f.
  • Letters make up words and words make up sentences.
8g.
  • Letters have names, sounds, shapes, and use different approach strokes for writing.
  • Letters have similarities and differences.
Learning Objectives:

Students will safely and responsibly use a device to input (take) photographs taken with the camera on the device. 

Students will find and/or create the letters of the alphabet using their bodies.

Students will analyze shapes to find the letters of the alphabet

  Strategies, Preparations and Variations  
Phase:
During/Explore/Explain
Activity:

 Students are grouped in sets of three. Students rotate jobs for each letter:

  1. photographer/director
  2. letter designer 1
  3. letter designer 2

Provide a clear printed representation of the letters students are to find or create.

Students work their way through the alphabet taking pictures of letters using their body. Some letters may be found up close such as the letter U in a fingernail or the letter C in the shape of an ear. Some letters may be created using their entire body or using two people. 

Students will need to analyze each picture for clarity. If it isn't clear, they will delete the picture and try again.

This may take several days or as you introduce the letters over time a photograph is added to the collection.

Once each set of students have completed all the letters. The photographs can be curated or compiled into a slideshow in which the students have to guess the letter in each photograph. Students may see other letters than the one intended. The conversation and debate that takes place is part of the learning. 

Assessment Strategies:

Teacher observation of discussions during the creation of letters. 

Teacher observation of discussions during analysis of photographs.

 


Advanced Preparation:

Procuring devices

Explicitly teaching students how to take photographs and delete unwanted photographs.

Have letter cards printed so students can see the shape they need to create.

Variation Tips (optional):

Extension: You can add the photographs to a movie-making software and have students add the sounds of the letters they have created as well.

Variation: If you use a portfolio software such as ClassDojo or SeeSaw students can immediately upload their pictures for others to analyze and guess at. They can also draw and annotate on the picture to show their thinking.

Notes or Recommendations (optional):
 
  Keywords and Search Tags  
Keywords and Search Tags: